CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif., March 31, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Mounting an all-new forged, bead-lock design by Hostile Wheels, Arie Luyendyk Jr., is poised and ready to aggressively move forward in the 2015 TORC PRO 2 Division, adding a lighter, yet stronger, addition to his GUNK two-wheel-drive truck for the series. Hostile has partnered with Luyendyk and his team to showcase the durability from the often aggressive abuse wheels can take on in a challenging off-road series such as TORC (The Off-Road Championship Series). The PRO 2 race series includes eight weekends of off-road racing, beginning April 24th in Dallas and concluding the weekend of September 5th in Crandon, Wisconsin.
Arie Luyendyk Jr. races Hostile's lightweight bead-lock wheelshostilewheels.com
Hostile's all-new forged, bead lock 17x9 wheels have been engineered with lightweight and strength as a priority, placing more power and torque to the ground faster that a heavier wheel.
Lighter and stronger, Hostile bead-lock wheels take to the air as Arie Luyendyk Jr. demonstrates Hostile?s weight optimization and strength benefits during a testing session for TORC's PRO 2 series.
With several prior PRO 2 podium finishes under his belt, Arie Luyendyk Jr. preps for 2015's TORC season with all-new forged, bead-lock wheels, custom-designed to match his livery by Hostile Wheels.
According to Bill Koenig, executive vice president for Hostile, the TORC series perfectly demonstrates the true reason behind weight optimization and strength. "Our forged, bead-lock wheels are not only lighter than standard wheels, but are equally as strong," said Koenig. "So we can take advantage of reduced rotational inertia of the rotating drive train components in the truck -- which means the engine uses more power accelerating the vehicle and the reduction in rotational inertia also leads to lower brake temperatures and better brake fade resistance over the course of the race."
Based on initial testing done at Glen Helen Raceway earlier this month, Luyendyk was able to feel a positive difference in the 17x9 Hostile wheels immediately. "Driving in a series like TORC, our truck -- and the wheels specifically -- need to withstand an enormous amount of distress. Landing off jumps, the extreme load on tires' side walls and wheel contact with other trucks are some of the big factors," said Luyendyk. "Immediately, off the first jump here at the test, I landed hard on the sidewall with no worries. We ran 60 trouble-free laps at Glen Helen and the wheels performed flawlessly! Light and strong, more than we could have asked for!"
Luyendyk's teammate Cam Reimers, of Cam Reimers Motorsports, will also be sponsored by Hostile Wheels, however within the Pro-Lite Class of the TORC Series. Reimers is a celebrated champion within the Motorcross arena, with more than 250 Moto Wins, 115 Overall Wins, and 21 Championships under his young belt. He has set a record as the youngest team owner and operator in short course off-road racing history and for 2015 will be entering his third year competing for the TORC Championship.
Luyendyk Jr. is the son of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and Indy speed record holder Arie Luyendyk, and making his own mark within the racing world. As an Indy Lights Winner, (2nd, 3rd, & 4th in the Indy Lights Championship), and an Indy 500 starter, he also represented Netherlands in A1GP and was voted "Most Popular Driver" for four consecutive years in Indy Lights. 2015 will mark Luyendyk's second full season of off-road competition with support from GUNK, the market leader in engine care for more than 55 years.
ABOUT HOSTILE WHEELS
Hostile Wheels, a division of Southern California-based MKW Alloy, was born from a desire to push the limits of design and aggressive application to the off-road arena, while utilizing an engineering philosophy that creates the toughest and visually appealing products for trucks, SUV's and Jeeps in today's marketplace. The Hostile brand provides customization through a lifestyle of aggressive wheels, Grilles, Leveling Kits and Apparel for enthusiasts and their vehicles, providing an emphasis on angular styles, wide lips and aggressive sizes that come in four (4) finishes including chrome, black, black milled and iron cut. For more information, visit www.hostilewheels.com.
ABOUT ARIE LUYENDYK JR.
Arie Luyendyk Jr. is the son of 2-time Indy 500 Champion, Arie Luyendyk. Winner in the Indy Lights series as well as runner up in the Indy Lights Series Championship, Arie also has one Indianapolis 500 start to his credit. Luyendyk Jr. has also competed in the 24 Hours of Daytona as well as the 12 Hours of Sebring. New to off-road in 2013 Luyendyk has already scored podium finishes in the TORC Series in the PRO 2 division as well as Robby Gordon's Formula Off-Road Championship. www.ariejr.com
ABOUT MKW ALLOY
Located in Southern California, MKW Alloy was founded in June of 1995, originally exporting wheels from the U.S. to Korea. In October of 1998, the company introduced its line of wheels to the U.S. market, firmly establishing itself as the market leader within the large diameter chrome marketplace. An innovator in the 'ultra-big' diameter SUV market, MKW was first to launch a 26" wheel in 2004. The company continues its global reach and currently distributes four separate divisions of cast aluminum wheels ranging from upscale to niche applications. MKW's City of Industry headquarters houses a warehouse, and 8,000-square feet dedicated to administration, sales, marketing and design. For more information: http://www.mkwalloy.com/.
CONTACT: Deb Pollack MKW Alloy/Hostile Wheels [email protected] 805.320.9248
Share this article